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John Banks (17th century)
John Banks or Bankes (?1650-1706) was an English playwright of the Restoration era. His works concentrated on historical dramas, and his plays were twice suppressed because of their implications, or supposed implications, for the contemporaneous political situation. Life Virtually nothing is known about Banks's early life; his date of birth has been estimated on the basis of his later biography. He studied law at the New Inn, one of the minor Inns of Chancery attached to the Middle Temple. Banks's first play was The Rival Kings of 1677, written in imitation of Nathaniel Lee's The Rival Queens of the same year. Banks followed this with The Destruction of Troy, which was staged by the Duke's Company at their Dorset Garden Theatre in November 1678 and printed the following year. The Unhappy Favourite, or the Earl of Essex, 1682, was his first major success. (John Dryden provided a Prologue and Epilogue.) Banks was considered a crude writer who could nonetheless, at his best, create powerful drama. His next play, however, was judged more crude than powerful: The Innocent Usurper, based on the life of Lady Jane Grey, was rejected by both the King's Company and the Duke's Company. And his subsequent attempt, The Island Queens, or the Death of Mary Queen of Scotland (1684), was banned on political grounds. Banks published the play in 1686. (It would eventually be staged as The Albion Queens, 20 years after its creation, and would be a hit with its audience.) Banks did not try the drama again until 1692, when his Virtue Betrayed; or, Anna Bullen was another success; it proved to be his most popular play, and was acted as late as 1766. He tried to stage The Innocent Usurper again in 1693, but on this second attempt the play was banned for political reasons. Yet he did get the play published in 1694. His last drama was his Cyrus the Great (inspired by Le Grand Cyrus of Madeleine de Scudéry). The acting companies resisted this work, because of its perceived low quality; but the play proved to be another success once staged, by the King's Company at their Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre. Publications *''The Destruction of Troy: A tragedy''. London: A.G. & J.P., for Charles Blount, 1679. *''The Unhappy Favorite; or, The Earl of Essex: A tragedy. London: Richard Bentley, 1682. *''Vertue Betray'd; or, Anna Bullen: A tragedy. London: R. Bentley & M. Magnes, 1682; London: Richard Wellington, 1704. *''The Island Queens; or, The death of Mary, Queen of Scots: A tragedy''. London: Richard Bentley, 1684 **also published as The Albion Queens; or, The death of Mary, Queen of Scots: A tragedy. London: Ric. Wellington, & E. Rumbal, 1704. *''The Innocent Usurper; or, The death of Lady Jane Grey: A tragedy''. London: Richard Bentley, 1694. *''Cyrus the Great; or, The tragedy of love''. London: Richard Bentley, 1696. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:John Banks 1706, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 23, 2016. See also *List of English-language playwrights References * Notes External links ;Poems *"To my ingenious Friend Mr. Charles Saunders, on his Play of Tamerlane" ;Books * ;About *John Bankes (1653ca.-1706) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 * "Banks, John (fl.1696)" Category:English dramatists and playwrights Category:1706 deaths Category:Year of birth unknown Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:English male dramatists and playwrights